Do Anti-Gay Laws Impact Tourism Markets? Part II

Previously in Part I: How are tour companies reacting to recent events in Egypt?

Let's study the case of a tourism board that currently has a real situation of “good news-bad news.”

On the positive side, it’s a Caribbean destination that was untouched by this year’s destructive hurricane season. On the negative side, the island has long positioned itself as a romantic and luxury getaway—and it has grown into a popular honeymoon destination.

That means the Zika virus scare has hurt the island the past couple of years. Many newlyweds are still leery about the risks, especially with potential pregnancies hanging in the balance.

All that said, this paradise island should be marketing the heck out of itself right now to some different types of travelers. And one might think that the island nation, which boasts gorgeous mountains, spectacular beaches and uber-luxe resorts, could do a bang-up business with the lucrative LGBTQ crowd.

So, what’s stopping it?

A recent press trip here illustrated the disconnect that exists for gay travelers. The island has anti-sodomy laws on the books, and the official penalty for gay sex is up to 10 years in prison—fairly typical for a Caribbean nation.

But the country’s tourism department says it welcomes LGBTQ tourists and has an “open-door policy” on them. How is a gay tourist supposed to read that?

Can Hearts and Minds Be Changed?

Miguel, a 25-year-old accountant on the island, said that there are few out gay men here and there is definitely no “gay scene.” He runs into “lots of” single gay travelers and the occasional couple.

But John, a bar supervisor at a resort, said that while he encounters gay travelers, he feels the anti-sodomy laws prevents others from vacationing there: “Potential visitors are afraid for their well-being. I must say that the capital city [REDACTED] is not safe for gay persons—in fact, the entire island is not safe.”

FJ, a student pursuing a marketing degree, commented that being openly gay here is a very difficult task, especially with constant discrimination coming from the general public.

“I will say that there are probably less than 1,000 people [on the island] who are open and these people go through many struggles. I usually don’t recommend their being open to the public; only to their friends and family,” he said. “Even then, most families, including mine, are not accepting of such a lifestyle.”

Tristan, a 24-year old hospitality management student who is a restaurant supervisor on the island, agreed that it isn’t practical to be out on the island. He estimated there are approximately 14 people in the entire country who live openly as gay.

“Although in recent years the level of stigma and discrimination has fallen a little due to education and many other factors, as a Christian majority population, it is still highly frowned upon and looked at as a disgusting act,” he said.

FJ feels that the anti-gay laws do prevent queer travelers from visiting: “Though they are not enforced, they still hinder a person’s mindset on visiting—especially since the world is beginning to label the Caribbean as a very homophobic region.”

John said that visitors can help by demanding that the local government officials (in areas of the island where they are vacationing) press their superiors to change the laws.

Tristan stressed that people on the island need to be educated about LGBTQ people, but gradually: “Culture is not something that can be changed, but people can adapt. It wouldn’t be good to throw homosexuality in their faces, as they may react violently due to their high levels of ignorance."

Alternatively, FJ explained, “LGBT travelers can join forces...to help persuade the government to abolish those laws.”

Philip Sheldon, President of HE Travel, said that success in turning around anti-LGBTQ perceptions will come only from a unified voice by tourism and government officials—and granting at least basic civil rights to their own LGBTQ citizens.

“The first thing a tourism official in a country with anti-gay laws should do is to make it clear to their political leaders that anti-gay rhetoric is very expensive to the country,” Sheldon said.

“When a destination is overtly anti-LGBT, they are discouraging a group of sophisticated travelers who are willing to spend money to have an authentic in-depth experience in a place.”

Sheldon noted that Argentina is a wonderful success story in moving from a repressive and violent anti-gay culture as recently as 30 years ago, to gay marriage and a very welcoming message today for LGBTQ travelers. South Africa also moved from LGBTQ repression during Apartheid to Nelson Mandela including gay rights in the country’s new Constitution.

Robert Sharp, Owner of OUT Adventures, said he thinks that countries need to work on their own internal legal issues before marketing to queer travelers.

“I would suggest that they do not market their destination to queer travelers until laws are changed to protect LGBT individuals,” he said.

“If they are interested in the LGBT market, they should form a group to lobby the benefits of LGBT tourism to their officials and government. This is an industry that is said to contribute more than $200 billion to the global economy, and for any official or organization that doesn’t think a small destination can make a big impact, I encourage them to look at destinations such as Curacao—a place surrounded by homophobic countries that has, over time, changed its position on LGBT rights and is now known as the most LGBT-friendly destination in the Caribbean.”

IGLTA’s President/CEO, John Tanzella, feels that there is room for more education in the Caribbean: “The Caribbean islands offer so much diversity for travelers, from the world-renowned beaches to music, culture and gastronomy, and they also vary greatly in their willingness to embrace the LGBTQ community."

“Tourism is the largest employer for most countries there, and it’s a missed opportunity socially and financially when they alienate LGBTQ people. Curacao has been a standout, with government-supported LGBTQ outreach and has reaped the benefits. We definitely want to educate more Caribbean tourism boards on the importance of welcoming all travelers and how it can help their tourism industry to flourish.”

Sheldon said there can be a negative domino effect on tourism when nations aren’t welcoming to LGBTQ travelers.

“Political leaders don’t realize that they are also turning away many straight travelers who don’t want to patronize a country that discriminates against LGBT citizens,” he said. “In particular, women are more likely to feel vulnerable in a place with anti-LGBT discrimination, since societies that put down their LGBT citizens often treat women the same way.”

During my assortment of press tours, a misogynistic culture was glaringly apparent. Guides made disparaging remarks about women—amazingly, right in front of female journalists. Twice we were told that particular types of rum were of such quality that only the men could try it.

Multiple local remedies for erectile dysfunction were explained, occasionally with some crass references to women. Given misogyny’s close link with homophobia, the idea that the island will repeal its anti-gay laws any time soon may be a pipe dream.

As I sat in this particular island's airport waiting to fly home, one of the locals I had been talking to sent me a flurry of texts.

One of his friends, a gay man named Ian, had been murdered the night before near the island’s northern tip. He was shot in the head. The crime hasn’t officially been solved, but multiple locals have since told me that Ian was killed because he was gay.

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